‘New Deal’: Nawaz Sharif Returns to Pakistan. Now What? So What?

Posted on November 25, 2007
Filed Under >Adil Najam, People, Politics
217 Comments
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Adil Najam

Former Prime Minister and PML(N) leader Nawaz Sharif is back in Pakistan.

Reportedly he landed in Lahore to a large reception by his supporters and was escorted to a special bullet proof car that had been brought for him. According to The News:

A special plane carrying the PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shahbaz Sharif and other family members arrived in Lahore from the holy city of Madina on Sunday evening. The convoys of PML-N workers arrived in Lahore to accord rousing welcome to Sharifs. Large welcome banners and pictures of Sharif brothers have been displayed at several places in Lahore. The special plane Boeing777 carried Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif along with 26 members of their family from the holy city of Madina.

The central and provincial leaders of PML-N, lawyers and members of civil society have arrived to receive Sharifs at Lahore Airport. Nawaz Sharif is expected to first visit Data Darbar in a procession and address a public meeting. Security had been tightened in Lahore especially on the airport ahead of arrival of the PML-N leader. Provincial home department has allowed only hundred party leaders to receive Sharifs at the airport, party sources claimed.

According to sources, bullet-proof cars for Sharifs reached in Lahore last night from Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the home department said that the authorities have decided to give free hand to Nawaz Sharif but he has not been permitted for holding a public meeting and rally.

Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and other family members will be transported to home from the airport, a home department statement said. However, thousands of PML-N workers succeeded in arriving airport by crossing the barricades put up by police. On this occasion, the workers raised slogans both in favour of Nawaz Sharif and against the government.

Readers would remember from our prior posts that in August the Supreme Court of Pakistan had ruled that he could, in fact, return to Pakistan despite whatever ‘deal’ he had made with Gen. Musharraf at teh time of his original flight to Saudi Arabia. However, when he did return to the country in September, he was unceremoniously and dramatically deported back to Saudi Arabia with theatrics which rivaled his own attempts not to let Gen. Musharraf land in Pakistan many moons ago.

Now it turns out that he has made yet another ‘deal’ with Gen. Musharraf which has enabled his return.

It is not fully clear what the ‘terms’ of this deal are. Nor what the Musharraf-Nawaz Sharif deal means for the earlier Musharraf-Benazir deal that had enabled her return some weeks back. Nor, in fact, is it clear what what his return (and the fact that now both Benazir and Nawaz Sharif are back in Pakistan) will mean for the future of Pakistan’s politics and the (supposed) forthcoming elections.

In despair, one even wonders if it means anything at all? Or is this just one more drama in the string of topi dramas that have come to define our distraught and fractured polity?

217 responses to “‘New Deal’: Nawaz Sharif Returns to Pakistan. Now What? So What?”

  1. Bhindigosht says:

    Off topic, but I just love the way everyone stops at Data Darbar on their important sojourns in Lahore. Must give the Saudis/wahabis some heartburn.

  2. Meengla says:

    @ViqarMinai,
    I am impressed with your post above (November 25th, 2007 7:28 pm ). Indeed, if media and judiciary can give hard time to a powerful autocrat like Gen. Musharraf then these institutions can certainly keep shaky-coalition govt. in check and on ‘good behavior’.

    And why not?! Why do we think that all politicians will be corrupt all the time? I think Pakistan has come a long way from the days of ZAB (who I admire, nevertheless) when opponents were beaten up to the days Gen. Zia (who I despise!) when the opponents were publicly flogged and/or hanged. Must we not strengthen the institutions of politics now that the civil society, the media, and the judiciary are already more or less independent?
    Our politicians have let us down. But our military leaders have taken us to the brink of disaster and their (military leaders’) crimes against the people of Pakistan are unmatched in their damage to Pakistan in their impact and cruelty.

  3. Suhail says:

    One more Joker is back to “SAVE” Pakistan. God save us from these Jokers……..Ameen

  4. Viqar Minai says:

    The most important issue in Pak right now is the restoration of the constitution, the re-instatement of the sacked judges, and removal of curbs on the media. Let any and all come back to Pakistan, let the NRO be revoked, and let everyone settle their cases in the courts. The constitution does not give the govt the right to make deals with select politicians. Let any deals be above board and strictly between the political parties.

    People of Pak can decide who to elect for their next govt. If there is rigging, it can be challenged in the courts. For the first time, the civil society is showing signs of life. They should be able to deal with anyone trying to get out of their skin with the help of the courts and the media.
    The process will be erratic and far from ideal in the beginning but, over the years, it will become effective.

    PML-N is a family business with NS, KS, SS, HS all vying for assembly seats. For the Sharif family, as for the gang of the Chaudhries of Gujrat, Pakistan begins and ends with Punjab; their only quarrel with each other is over who should be incharge. If this trend cannot be reversed by means of genuinely participatory politics, Pakistan is staring at the end game. Dissension and strife will grow and the militants will soon have the entire country up in flames.

    The moment of truth is inching closer …

  5. Rafay Kashmiri says:

    @ Hommage to Nawaz
    filbadiah arz hay:
    Dhamkian !
    zalimon nay koshishein kar lein usay daranay ki
    BB nay lagwadi thi shart aisi, usay bhaganay ki
    mushy Bushy nay, Goron nay lagaya bund ka zor
    surkhon nay to had muka dithi Bazi Dramay ki
    Sazish khul gai Duniya ki, is Dess ko giranay ki
    Dekho kitni unch hay, Nawaz mein Sherafat ki
    Dua karein sab milkay ham Us Rab-e-jalil say
    aur karein abb baat, is mulk ko Bananay ki

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